1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a container filling apparatus and method and, more particularly, to such apparatus and method for loading beans into containers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous types of apparatus and methods are known for automatically loading containers, and many utilize the turntable principle as shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 939,455; 1,828,936; 2,279,371; 2,289,852; 3,285,294; 3,295,566; 3,554,412 and 3,919,828. Many of these patents also show elevating systems for lifting containers into filling engagement with a bottom portion of the turntable for passage of the material through ports in the turntable and into the containers. Some of the patents also show various ways of compacting the material in the containers.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 939,455 shows a machine for filling boxes which are carried on a rail and elevated thereby into filling associations with openings in a turntable which carries the material to be discharged into the boxes. Rotary assemblies have arms to compact the material in the boxes. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,828,936 cans to be filled are deposited on platens which are elevated by an annular cam track so that the open top ends of the cans are telescoped about collars on a turntable. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,279,371 cans are deposited on elevating plungers which move up an incline of a partial annular track to elevate the open tops of the cans about depending lips of a circular turntable top. Produce is deposited on the turntable and falls through holes defined by the lips and into the cans. A fixed deflector moves the produce away from these holes and into a central portion of the turntable in the area between the filled can removal station and the empty can supply station. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,289,852 cans are deposited onto a stationary annular track and between fingers of a turntable which moves the cans along the track, the track elevating the cans into engagement with fixed annular lips about loading ports in a turntable. A packer wheel compacts the material which has been deposited in the cans. A wiper is provided downstream of the filling station. U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,294 shows an annular track which elevates cans into engagement with annular flanges about filling openings in a plate. Curved deflectors ride on an upper plate for deflecting the filling material into chambers. U.S. Pat. No. 3,295,566 shows a filling machine for comminuted materials in which containers to be filled are elevated by a partial annular rail and are telescoped above sleeves a turntable. Generally spiral baffles urge the material toward the periphery of the turntable. U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,412 shows a capable charging system in which annular cam track operates plungers for raising and lowering capsules filled with powder which is compacted by a plunger (FIG. 6), and the capsules may be subjected to a second filling before being cleaned by brushing and then capped. Stationary deflectors (FIG. 10) position the powder on a turntable of the apparatus, and similar deflectors are shown in FIG. 14. U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,828 shows a pickle packing machine with a turntable carrying pickle jars from station to station. It also shows plunger assemblies, one for each of the jars, these assemblies traveling with the turntable and being pressed by a fixed cam for compacting the pickles.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and useful container filling apparatus and method of filling containers. A related object is provision of such an apparatus and method in which the containers are filled with elongated material and, more particularly, are filled with pole beans.
Another object is provision of a new and useful container filling apparatus in which the material to be filled into the containers is deposited on a rotating turntable for passage through ports along the periphery of the turntable and into the containers therebelow, with provision for propelling the material on the turntable opposite the direction of rotation of the turntable and into the ports. A related object is provision of such propelling mechanism which propels the material away from the mechanism. Another related object is provision of an embodiment of such filling apparatus in which a first such propelling mechanism moves the material toward a center portion of the turntable so that the material bypasses the first propelling mechanism and is carried by the turntable to a second propelling mechanism extending into the center portion of the turntable for receiving this material and propelling the material into the ports. Another related object is provision of mechanism for compacting the material in the containers to reduce voids between the material while leaving the material in tact, the compactor being between the first and second propelling mechanisms in the direction of rotation of the turntable. Still another related object is provision between the compactor and the second propelling mechanism of an area for inserting empty containers into the apparatus and removing filled containers from the apparatus, the containers normally making two revolutions with the turntable as they are being filled. A further related object is provision of such apparatus in which the material is elongated, such as pole beans, and both propelling mechanisms are rotary brushes. Another related object is provision of a preferred embodiment in which the propelling mechanism is immediately down stream of the receiving area of the material onto the turntable and levels any mounds of such material while propelling the material away from itself and opposite the direction of movement of the turntable and into the ports, with the material passing the first propelling mechanism moving to a second propelling mechanism which similarly moves the material away from itself and into the ports and any material remaining on the surface of the turntable into engagement with a guide which orients the remaining material in a generally annular path on the turntable for passage of the material to a point immediately upstream from the receiving area of the material on the turntable and into the port and containers associated therewith from which these containers pass through the previously described cycle. The first propelling mechanism is in the form of a rotary fork and the second propelling mechanism is in the form of a rotary brush, with compacting mechanism between the two propelling mechanisms for reducing voids between the material in the containers while leaving the material in tact. A further related object is provision in such apparatus for rotating the turntable step by step for substantially uniform filling of the containers.
Still another object is provision of a new and useful method of filling containers including the steps of rotating about its axis a turntable having a series of ports spaced apart along a circular path proximate its periphery and substantially coaxial with the rotational axis of the turntable for passage of the material through the ports and into associated ones of the containers, depositing the material on the turntable for receipt by the ports, and propelling the material along the turntable in a substantially predetermined direction generally opposite the direction of rotation of the turntable while moving the material into the ports. Related objects include the step of compacting the material in the containers to reduce voids therebetween while leaving the material in tact; and the step of propelling the material including removing excess quantities of material from atop the ports for movement through other ports. Another related object includes in one embodiment, moving the material to a central portion of the turntable, and propelling the material from the central portion into the ports, the material being elongated, and in which the depositing step includes deposits the material on the turntable in generally parallel orientation, and the propelling steps substantially maintain the parallel orientation in propelling the material to the ports. Further related objects include in a preferred environment, depositing material remaining on the turntable in an annular path along the surface of the turntable and depositing this material into containers immediately upstream of the area in which the turntable initially receives the material; initially propelling the material by operation of a rotary fork to level the material and subsequently propelling the material into the annular path by operation of a rotary brush; and rotating the turntable step by step for uniform filling.
The invention, in brief, is directed to a new and useful container filling apparatus and method for filling containers wherein the material to be loaded into the containers is deposited on a rotating turntable for passage through ports along the periphery of the turntable and into the containers. As the turntable rotates the material thereon is propelled by a first mechanism in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of the turntable for passage through the ports with the material by-passing this mechanism passing to second mechanism which also propells the material away from itself and positions the material for passage through the ports. Compacting of the material in the containers is preferably provided between the first and second propelling mechanisms. In one embodiment the first mechanism propells the material toward a center portion of the turntable where it travels with the turntable to a second area at which the material is picked up from the center portion and is propelled by the second mechanism into the ports. A pair of rotary brushes for propelling the material is preferably provided; and with the material being elongated (pole beans, for example), it is preferably delivered to the turntable by a conveyor discharging above the ports and between the first and second rotary brushes with beans generally parallel to each other and remaining paralleled as they are delivered to the containers. In a preferred embodiment the first mechanism is preferably in the form of a rotary fork which propels the material away from itself and toward the ports, and levels any mounds of the material deposited on the turntable, with material passing this first mechanism being compacted in the containers and material remaining on the surface of the turntable passing to the second mechanism, preferably in the form of a rotary brush for propelling the material away from itself and into the ports, with material remaining on the surface of the turntable being propelled to a guide which forms this material into an annular path on the surface of the turntable for subsequent deposit in empty containers just upstream of the area at which the turntable originally receives the material, whereupon these last mentioned containers pass through the previously described cycle. The turntable may be rotated step by step, if desired, to assure substantially uniform filling of the containers.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.